The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

Read Nahum, Nah 1:1. Read Nah 3:1-3. Read Nah 3:18-19. The
book of Nahum prophesies the utter destruction of Nineveh, the powerful
and merciless capital of the kingdom of

Nineveh was utterly destroyed in 612 BC, just as Nahum had prophesied.
The Lord speaks to Jerusalem in Nah 1:12. Read Nah 1:12. However, despite
this promise, Jerusalem was more than humbled, it was leveled to the
ground in 586 BC by the Babylonians. This means that

a. God was plainly not speaking through the
prophet Nahum.b. Nahum foresaw the end of Assyria, but
not the rise of Babylon.c. prophecy is just wishful thinking by a
pious person.

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

Read Habakkuk, Hab 1:1-3. Habbakuk, like Jeremiah, shows a
new form of prophecy:

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

If this textbook had been written at an earlier time, it
would have taught you that most scholars confidently associate the
destruction prophesied by the book of Zephaniah with a raid through
Assyrian territories (including Israel) by Scythians. This Scythian raid
is mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.

However, more recent scholars have been unable to find even one bit of
evidence that such a raid by Scythians ever took place - no records, no
bits of broken pottery, nothing. The ''Scythian raid'' never existed,
though at one time experts were sure that it had.

So, when this book tells you that ''most scholars'' or ''some scholars''
or even ''all scholars'' think something about the Old Testament, it is
possible that, in ten years or a hundred years, this truth held by modern
scholars will turn out to be as false and nonexistent as the ''Scythian
raid.''

By teaching you a few things about the findings of scholars, this book
might very well be teaching you some things that as early as tomorrow will
be seen to be out-of-date, silly, or even downright false.

So what should you think about all this?

a. All the information that experts possess
is wrong.b. Experts have a useful but limited role
in Bible study.c. Nowadays we have real experts who are
never wrong.

The expression ''day of the LORD'' developed many different meanings
within the writings of the Old Testament. Zephaniah prophesies a fearsome
''day of the LORD'' - against Judah.

Read Zephaniah, Zeph 1:1-3. Scholars tell us that repeating the words
''sweep away'' three times is meant as a solemn undoing of God's promise
to Noah not to destroy all living things.

However, the covenant with Noah, which extends to all men and all living
creatures, remains in force until the Gospel, the New Covenant in Christ
which completes and fulfills all covenants, is universally proclaimed at
the end of time. [CCC 58]

Thus the Catholic Church teaches that in the book of Zephaniah the sacred
author did not literally mean that God has broken the covenant he made
with Noah. Probably a literary form, 'the three curses,' was being used to
convey the seriousness of the wrong Judah had done.

Read Zeph 1:14-18. This passage was the inspiration for the ''Dies
Irae,'' a hymn sung or recited for hundreds of years at Catholic funeral
Masses. (The Dies Irae no longer appears in the Catholic rite for the
funeral Mass). Now read the whole of Zeph 1.

The remainder of Zephaniah consists of oracles against foreign nations,
and then a statement of the restoration of the covenant. (Obviously, the
covenant could not be restored if 'the three curses' prophecy meant that
the entire world really was going to be destroyed). Read Zeph 3:19-20.
<<

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

The prophet Haggai prophesied after the Exile was ended
and some Jews were returning to Jerusalem. The Old Testament tells us that
times were very difficult for the returnees, and that both the Temple and
Jerusalem were slow to be rebuilt.

Read Haggai, Hag 2:1-9. The LORD promises that the restored Temple would
be even more splendid than the first. Actually, this never came to pass.
The Temple was restored, but probably not in Haggai's lifetime, and it
seems to have been nowhere near as impressive as the former Temple.

Read Hag 2:20-23. The LORD promises that the line of kings descended from
David will be restored. This never happened at all.

Haggai is a good example of ''failed'' prophecy. In retrospect, his
prophecies were not completely accurate. However, another realistic aspect
to Haggai's prophecies is that they did encourage the Jewish people to
rebuild in very difficult times. Also, Haggai's prophecies were so
significant that they were preserved and revered as the Word of God.

Further, beyond the 'literal sense' of Haggai (the meaning the sacred
author intended) the Catholic Church sees in Haggai's prophecy of the
renewal of the Davidic kingship the renewal of the promise of the coming
Messiah, Jesus.

Finally, because the book of Haggai is the inspired Word of God, we know
with certainty that there will always be more meaning to find in the
prophecies of Haggai. We know with certainty that Haggai's prophecies can
draw men of any and all ages closer to Christ. <<

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

The prophet Zephaniah prophesied several years before the
Exile began. The prophet Zechariah prophesied

a. in the middle of the Exile.b. several years after the Exile ended.c. several years before the Exile
began.

Like Haggai, Zechariah prophesied after the Exile ended, about 520 BC
according to the book of Zechariah. (The prophet Zephaniah is a totally
different person who prophesied a wrathful ''day of the LORD'' several
years before the Exile). You can remember this by noting that Zechariah
(with a c) was Closer to the time of Christ.

Most scholars think that the book of Zechariah has two distinct sources.
They say that Zech 1-8 is quite different in style and content from Zech
9-15.

Scholars call Zech 1-8 ''First Zechariah.'' It contains visions and
oracles. Most scholars agree that they concern how returnees are to
rebuild the community and worship the LORD.

''Second Zechariah'' contains prophecies, primarily about the future. The
LORD will judge the Jews and the nations, amid struggle, suffering, and in
the end, salvation and consolation.

Read Zech 9:9. The gospel writers remembered this passage when Jesus rode
an ass into Jerusalem, as is celebrated on Palm Sunday.

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

Many scholars place the book of Malachi as being written
at a time of vast mediocrity. The Exile had ended and the Temple had been
rebuilt, though not to its former splendor. Malachi very severely
criticizes irreverent and indifferent worship in both priests and people,
says that the priests have not been properly instructing the people, and
criticizes marriage practices.

So: a far less splendid Temple, with far-from-splendid priests and
people. Some scholars think that Malachi is even more outraged because so
many priests and people seem to think that what they are doing is
perfectly normal and OK. They don't even seem to understand that what they
are doing is wrong. Malachi prophesies a day of judgment against Judah,
with an eventual covenantal restoration by the LORD.

By tradition the book of Malachi is placed last in the Old Testament.
Read the last verses of Malachi. Elijah will come to announce the day of
the LORD. Here is what the Catholic Church professes about John the
Baptist in CCC 718:

''John is 'Elijah [who] must come.' [Mt 17:10-13] The fire of the Spirit
dwells in him and makes him the forerunner of the coming Lord. In John,
the precursor, the Holy Spirit completes the work of '[making] ready a
people prepared for the Lord.''' [Lk 1:17]

Read Mal 1:1-11. Now re-read Mal 1:11. The literal meaning of this verse
(what the sacred author intended) is in dispute among scholars.

Whatever other meanings the passage has, the Catholic Church sees this
prophecy of a universal sacrifice as fulfilled in the Sacrifice of the
Mass. <<

You have reached an important milestone in this course. You have read and
worked through every item once. In the remainder of this course, you will
have the opportunity to read and work through many of these same items
again. No new items will be introduced.

So, the remainder of this course consists of opportunities for meditation
and contemplation.

You may not be used to courses that teach you also through meditation and
contemplation - in other words, that also teach you by asking you to
re-encounter things that you have already 'covered.' It is nonetheless a
fact that meditation and contemplation are central to how human beings
learn. They are probably also central to prayer and to love, and to how
human beings keep things in their hearts.

So, the second part of the course is an invitation to move a little
deeper into prayer and reflection on what this course has covered. By all
means, if you wish to do that on your own, then you certainly do not have
to continue with OTHCC from this point. OTHCC is your course, and you can
use it any way you want. On the other hand, if you do want to continue
with additional learning, prayer, and reflection with OTHCC, besides
continuing to do everything that you have done before, you might consider
now also looking up and reading the passages in the Catechism that are
referred to within an item but you haven't been explicitly asked to read.
In this way you may reach a little deeper into the Church's heart.

The Old Testament documents God's desire for an intimate and unbreakable
relationship of love (a covenant) with man, in spite of man's repeated
rejections of God. Repeatedly God makes covenants with man. God made
covenants with all three men mentioned below. Who came first?

The waters of the flood, which brought death, also resulted in the
covenant of special closeness and life made by God with Noah and with all
living creatures. By the waters of Baptism which are poured over us, we
are baptized into Christ's death, which brings us union with him, and
eternal life.

Also, Noah releases a dove which returns with a sign that the earth was
again habitable. The Church sees in this dove a symbol of the Holy Spirit,
who again appears when Christ comes up from the waters of his baptism.

Noah himself has been seen as a type of Christ, the faithful man God
works through to save the world from death. <<

Here is one opinion about the literal sense of Gen 6:13 - 9:17. The
conclusion of the passage is the making of the covenant between God and
Noah, and this completes and gives the full meaning of the literal sense
of what came before. God promises that death, which flooded the whole
world on account of man's sins, will never be completely victorious.

The account thus reinforces the Protoevangelium. A man, Noah, defeats the
death threatening the whole world, by faithfully and obediently
cooperating with God's plans. Significantly, Genesis takes pains to show
that Noah can trace his lineage directly to Eve (thus, he is a man who
literally is a ''seed'' of the woman). However, and also very
significantly, Noah is not a pagan ''hero,'' a man who defeats death by
his own powers or actions. God alone does that.

Further, notice how great an emphasis is placed on establishing that Noah
and his kin were just a few people in an entire world otherwise utterly
given over to sin. Yet, small as their number was, God certainly noticed
them. Their faithfulness literally saved the world, and prompts even
greater tenderness from God, a tenderness that he extends far beyond Noah
to all men who come after him.

Noah, his faithfulness, and the covenant God made with him, are so
important that Gen 4:17 - 6:10 outlines the ''generations'' (all the
ancestors) of Noah. He and his ancestors live to immense ages, befitting a
family of long and continuing heroism and great faithfulness to God.
Notice also that God plainly makes a covenant not just with Noah but,
through him, with all men and even with all living beings. Noah's
faithfulness changes the whole world for the better.

So, how long does the covenant God made with Noah last? The Holy Father
and bishops united with him teach [CCC 71] that the covenant with Noah
remains in force until

a. the covenant with Abraham.b. the covenant with Moses.c. the end of time on the last day.

The covenant with Noah, which extends to all men and all living
creatures, remains in force until the Gospel, the New Covenant in Christ
which completes and fulfills all covenants, is universally proclaimed at
the end of time. [CCC 58] <<

The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

- a prose beginning sets the scene. There is a wager in heaven between
God and Satan about Job's faithfulness. Job loses livestock, children -
everything - and suffers severe poverty and physical and mental torment,
yet he refuses to curse God. Read Job 1-2.

- There follows about thirty chapters of poems - Job laments and
complains, three friends say that, since God is just, Job must have sinned
to experience this evil, and Job argues back, lamenting, complaining,
eventually to God himself.

- Suddenly a young man (who is not mentioned anywhere else in the book
and who is ignored by Job) interrupts for five chapters.

- Then without warning ''in a whirlwind'' God gives two long speeches and
questions Job. Job can give no answer to God.

Then what happens to conclude the book of Job? Job

a. is restored to abundant physical,
material, and mental health.b. is restored to some degree of physical,
material, and mental health.c. is not restored to physical, material,
and mental health.